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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24906358">Ori'Fox and Mesh'ika</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samayo_Kaze/pseuds/Samayo_Kaze'>Samayo_Kaze</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mesh'la Verse [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Armor, At this point they're just running with it, BTW, But it's going somewhere, But she is, Edit: Fox is now Eldritch, FOLKS THEY ADOPT EACH OTHER, Found Family, Fox ends up a legal person, He doesn't know it yet, He get registered as Jango's sister's kid, He gives her armor, I have no idea where this is going, I'm not sure that'll come up, I've decided that Mesh'la knows Jon Antilles, Let's be honest, MUTUAL MANDALORIAN ADOPTION, Mandalorian Adoption, Mesh'la doesn't know enough about regular people to know if that's weird, Mesh'la is just bunnyhopping around the battallions, More to be added??? - Freeform, Neither of them know how, No one else does either, They have a notebook about it, also!, and somehow, remember none of it, they have a wild week, uhhhh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:16:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,874</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24906358</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samayo_Kaze/pseuds/Samayo_Kaze</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Fox has been forcibly removed from his office<br/>He is not pleased.<br/>Then he gets into a fight, makes a new friend, and eventually overthrows the Chancellor.</p><p>Yeah</p><p>Just an average day for a Mandalorian, right?</p><p>He's pretty sure the intangability isn't real though</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CC-1010 | Fox &amp; Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mesh'la Verse [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1798054</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ori'Fox and Mesh'ika</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>ALright Tumblr mutuals who are horrid influences, have your chapter</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fox has so much work he should be doing right now, he really does. The Republic doesn’t run itself, after all, and most days it feels like he’s the one running everything, instead of, say, the thousands of elected officials who should be doing the jobs they’re being well-paid for instead of bitching about luxury import delays. Honestly.</p><p> </p><p>Instead, Fox is on a lower level that houses this <em>one</em> particular diner that he discovered by accident after crashing through a window while chasing down a perp that <strong><em>fucking CorSec</em></strong> allowed loose after his kits managed to <em>literally</em> hand the bastard over without a problem. His bitching was probably why the owners let him back in.  Anyway Fox is currently not doing his job and that is a fucking problem, but also he was shoved into some civvies and physically removed from the building. The only reason he hasn’t gone storming back in is because Medical is threatening to put him on mandatory leave if he comes back before nightfall.</p><p> </p><p>Which is <strong><em>Bullshit</em></strong><em>. </em>He’s <strong><em>fine</em></strong><em>.</em></p><p> </p><p>But Medical trumps everything, so here he is. At least the foods good. And none of his brothers are going to show up un-expectantly. Most people don’t even realize this level is active beyond a basic maintenance hub, much less be able to <em>find </em>the diner. It’s not a <em>secret</em>, exactly, but it is harder to spot and frankly Fox is self-aware enough to know that he needs somewhere he doesn’t <em>have</em> to be Commander of the Coruscant Guard. Even if that place is a sketchy diner. He is <em>absolutely</em> ignoring the fact that it’s almost certainly an underground info hub.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Voices start to filter in from the street, loud but indistinct, and Fox takes a shot of something he shouldn’t be drinking in the middle of the day. Considering that the waitress took one look at him and immediately poured him a drink from an unlabeled bottle, Thorn may have a point. Fox is never going to tell him that though. If he doesn’t see it, it isn’t his problem. <strong><em>It isn’t. </em></strong></p><p> </p><p>He closes his eyes as an actual commotion starts up in the street because <strong>NO<em>. </em></strong>He is <strong><em>off the clock</em></strong>, thank you <em>very much, </em>despite the shouts of Mando’a.</p><p> </p><p>            Except, that’s not a brother. The voice is clearly <em>female</em> and strangely accented, obvious hints of a Concordian accent mixed with something more . . . . archaic.</p><p> </p><p>            Then someone comes flying through the door and Fox’s sense of duty overrides his desire for a break. With a sigh Fox shoves his chair back and heads for the broken door. There are three sentients clustered together—a Pantoran armed with a blaster, a Trandoshan with an active vibroblade, and . . . . something furry that also has a vibroblade though it appears to be damaged.  The trio are shouting up from the base of a support column, and sure enough when he looks up there’s a humanoid female perched small maintenance platform. As he watches, she hefts a chunk of scrap and chucks it at the Pantoran.</p><p> </p><p><span class="u">“<em>Ha! Fuck off bastards</em>!</span>” Her Mando’a is odd, but still understandable. Then again Fox and the other Shebse where always hunting Rex’ika down when he used to play with the Marines, so he may have an advantage over others. Fox also hadn’t known that there were people who mixed the more journeyman-specific version of Concordian with the standard dialect like that.</p><p> </p><p>“<em>There a problem here</em>,” he calls up, also in Mando’a. Three against one isn’t very fair, even for a Mandalorian. Especially one without weapons, which might be stranger than the lack of beskar, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping her. Besides, sometimes a sentient just wants to get into a knife fight.</p><p> </p><p>“<em><span class="u">Na</span></em>,” She laughs, <em><span class="u">“Just a minor disagree-</span></em>”A stun blast slams into her shoulder. Apparently the Pantoran had finally remembered that he had a blaster. <em><span class="u">“Oi!</span></em>” She shouts instead of falling unconscious. Shaking out her arm like it had gone to sleep, the girl (?) uses her other harm to chuck a large rock at the blaster itself. Hard.</p><p> </p><p>The Pantoran curses, dropping the blaster to cradle his now bleeding hand. It’s not nearly as bad a wound as it could have been, so Fox marks the fallen blaster instead. You don’t become a successful shock troop commander by losing track of loose weaponry. He’s surprised to notice some fresh damage to the blaster itself as well. Those aren’t easy to damage, even ones as poorly maintained as that. She’s strong.</p><p> </p><p>“<em><span class="u">On second thought,</span></em>” and there’s more bite to her tone now, <em><span class="u">“I wouldn’t mind a hand, if you’re interested Cousin.</span></em>” Oh? So she’s pegged him as Mandalorian as well, even out of his own armor. Not as a clone though, or she wouldn’t have called him ‘Cousin’.</p><p> </p><p><em>“Wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t,” </em>he tells her. It’s a complete lie. Fox’s sense of duty would have had him offering regardless. He is interested though, and no one here can recognize a trooper out of armor at all, least of all a specific one. So.</p><p> </p><p>Without warning Fox strikes out at the nearest blade wielder, the Trandoshan. Caught unaware, the Trandoshan fumbles with the vibroblade and Fox is quick to snatch it out of their hands. Tucking it away, he dodges the punch that follows and sends them flying with a kick. Then the furry thing jumps him, knocking them both to the ground. They land-one, two hits-and then Fox is twisting, reversing their positions just in time to see the girl drop down onto the Pantoran. Fox lands several hits of his own, and doesn’t bother holding back either, before springing up and away. His opponent is groaning—still conscious then, that’s good—but doesn’t try to get up so Fox turns to help the girl. Whose opponent is <em>also</em> on the ground and significantly less conscious.</p><p> </p><p><em><span class="u">“Opps,</span></em>” she offers while nudging the Pantoran with her foot. Her <em>BARE</em> foot.</p><p> </p><p><em>“Where are your shoes,</em>” Fox asks, suddenly baffled. How do you just, lose your shoes? Did she get jumped?? Fox now has <em>concerns</em>.</p><p>“<em><span class="u">Ah</span></em>,” She looks down briefly. <em><span class="u">“Those. Right. Might of, ah, </span></em><span class="u">misplaced<em> them. Slightly.</em></span>” Fox takes a long minute to just stare at her. Then the call comes through that CorSec is on its way. Fucking useless <strong>Bastards.</strong></p><p> </p><p>There’s a second of stillness and then everyone scatters.</p><p> </p><p>Lunging forward, the girl—well, she’s more of a young woman really—grabs him, <em><span class="u">“Come on!</span></em>”</p><p> </p><p>Fox goes.</p><p> </p><p>He follows her through a twisting, convoluted path that involves an unusually high number of rooftops. Twenty minutes later the two of them are in a back alley several levels and a few miles away. Breathing heavy, she leans back against the durasteel of the buildings around them.</p><p><em><span class="u">“Whoo,</span></em>” she pants, <em><span class="u">“well we definitely lost them.</span></em>” She looks up at him, and Fox and his brothers aren’t exactly short but they aren’t all that tall either. Fox almost towers over her. <em><span class="u">“Thanks for the help Cousin.</span></em>” He . . . . . should probably tell her who he is. What he is. But, this was <em>fun. </em>Fox hasn’t enjoyed himself this much since he got to lock up the rest of Shebes squad for public intoxication and indecent exposure. <em><span class="u">“Hey,</span></em>” her voice cuts through his indecision.<em><span class="u"> “Hey, I think I recognize that place.</span></em>” She’s looking across the street at a nondescript building that matches half a dozen others. <em><span class="u">“Yeah, that’s the old speakeasy!</span></em>” A speakeasy? Really? <em><span class="u">“Since I interrupted you earlier, you wanna grab a drink together? On me, of course.</span></em>” The young woman—and Fox abruptly realizes that he doesn’t know her name, that they never introduced themselves—seems earnest at least. And for what? To spend more time with him? He’s a stranger, albeit one with cultural ties. And even then, most Mandalorians don’t consider the Vode to be as such. This could be a trap, an ambush maybe. Mandalorian can lie, of course, but most don’t bother and few are good enough to lie well without their helmets to convince someone with his level of training. She could be an exception.</p><p> </p><p>. . . . .</p><p> </p><p>She called him Cousin.</p><p> </p><p>Fox should <em>really</em> say something.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>“Sure,”</em> he says instead. <em>“I don’t have anything better to do.”</em></p><p> </p><p>With a laugh, she pulls him across the street and into the building. Two hidden doors and a <strong>very </strong>strange staircase later the two of them are seated at a bar and ordering their drinks. “Peppermint schnapps for me Jack,” his newest acquaintance tells the bartender, her basic just as unusually accented as her Mando’a. Fox can’t even tell what’s coloring it. <em><span class="u">“What do you want?</span></em>” she asks, turning to him.</p><p>            “Tihaar, if you have it,” Fox tells the bartender a little wistfully. He hasn’t been able to find a decent tihaar since leaving Kamino and he’s found that he misses it.</p><p>            “Oh <strong>fuck</strong> yeah,” she breathes, eyes wide, “Just bring us a whole bottle of it if you’ve got it. I haven’t had tihaar in ages.”</p><p> </p><p>            “Sure thing bratling,” the bartender says with a fond smile, “A bottle of tihaar and a pep. Schnapps. I’ll even bring you out the good stuff.”</p><p> </p><p>            “Thanks Jack,” she chirps before turning back to Fox. <em><span class="u">“So, introductions? Really should have done this before, I get a little excited sometimes. The names Mesh’la.”</span></em> Fox snorts before he can stop himself because ‘beautiful’, really? <em><span class="u">“Oi,</span></em>” She-Mesh’la-smacks his shoulder. <em><span class="u">“Shut up, it’s not like I named myself.</span></em>” Well, that’s fair. Most Nat-borns are named by their parents.</p><p> </p><p>            <em>“I’m Fox.”</em> He tells her. He should probably have given her a false name, but Fox was one of the few clones that <strong>didn’t</strong> name themselves and he holds that closer than some even after the fucked up mess that was CC training.</p><p> </p><p>            <em><span class="u">“Fox, huh?</span></em>” Mesh’la asks, staring at him, and Fox is suddenly and inexplicitly reminded of Jango Fett. A slow, soft, smile creeps across her face. <em><span class="u">“Yeah, yeah it suits you.</span></em>”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Before Fox can try to figure out how to respond to that, the bartender returns with a bottle of tihaar, a pair of empty glasses, and Mesh’la’s shot. Downing it, Mesh’la digs around her pockets before triumphantly withdrawing a credit chip and paying for their drinks.</p><p>                              </p><p>            <em>“You carry a credit chip but can’t keep a hold of your shoes?” </em>Fox asks, perhaps a little judgmentally but really? <strong>How</strong> do you just <strong>lose</strong> your shoes? That’s just ridiculous.</p><p>            <em><span class="u">“Shut up,</span></em>” She pouts even as she pours them both them both a drink with an unfamiliarity that suggests she’s more used to just drinking it from the bottle. That’s a mood, and frankly Fox sympathizes. He’s familiar with the feeling, especially on bad days <strike>most days are now</strike> but as the head of the Guard he can’t bring himself to indulge it often. <em><span class="u">“Cheers,</span></em>” Mesh’la offers, and the two of them tap their glasses together. The tihaar is good, <em>really good</em> actually, and Fox takes a long moment to just enjoy the way it burns softly. A lingering glance shows that his new friend is doing the same. Mesh’la has this faraway look on her face that suggests that he’s not the only one remembering long-lost times. She catches his look and offers a weak but not insincere smile as they finish the bottle in silence.</p>
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